Daddy Blogger: The Preparation

We can either have 13 years of hell or 13 years of, well, not so much fun but calm preparation.

Every year our children have to return to school. From the moment they start till their final year there are always going to be some trials and tribulations. It can be a daunting time because we all remember what it’s like not to have to make lunches, drop them off, pick them up and endure hours of extra-curricular activities. We all remember the relief at the end of a school year. The huge exhale. Strangely, there can also be a lot of excitement and a whole world of possibilities. Now I was never the most organised parent when it came to the whole return to school thing. There was no way in the world I was going to start covering books – aren’t they already in a cover? – nor was I purchasing a new dictionary every year. That did drive me mental. How many dictionaries do they need? Seriously, I think that every book list that came out demanded, yes, demanded that we purchase a new dictionary. What I did do was try and install a sense of calm excitement about the new year, school or grade that my children were going into. Nothing over the top just realistic expectations that everything was ok and that I was always there to support them.

There was a routine that I would use every year. The week before school started I would adjust their bedtimes and their wake up times so they were as close to what they would have at school. If it was a new school, we would go and visit the school and try to work out pick ups and drop-offs. We would work out bus routes and, if needed, actually catch the bus to and from the new school. That way it wasn’t such a rude shock to them. They were already slipping back into the routine.

In that week before we would always organise their uniforms and book lists. Stationery is always the highlight of every child’s journey back to school. It’s like a christmas stocking but with more purpose. These are their tools and you can sense their desire to put them to use. Although, I’m sure we ended up with about 7000 rulers and compasses in this household. Make sure you have a wad of cash handy or at least a holiday bruised credit card. Once we lugged all the new books home it was always exciting for my children to name everything, organise their pencil cases and pack it all up in their new bags. For some reason my daughter always seemed a lot more interested in this. I’m not sure if it’s a girl/boy thing or that her personality was just that way inclined. I would just shake my head in amazement at her zeal and my son’s lack thereof.